I’m so excited to share this AMAZING Firming Eye Serum recipe with you all! Many of you have wanted to know if there is a way to reduce puffiness under the eyes. The annoying answer I usually give is to drink more water and get more sleep. In my method of making DIY skin care and achieving beautiful skin, quick fixes just aren’t very common, until now……
You might have seen that I recently posted a Coffee Bean Eye Roll On recipe which infuses a coffee bean in the roll on bottle. This is such a simple way to reap the benefits of caffeine. I’ve had multiple readers tell me that it was such an effective recipe that they noticed an immediate reduction in eye puffiness. I decided that I would try my luck at a similar recipe except this time we’ll use only water based ingredients. Using water based ingredients is more oily skin friendly.
You also might remember my Anti Wrinkle Eye Stick. This DIY is excellent for nourishing the eyes and help improve skin long term, but sometimes you just need a miracle that will work immediately. Read on to get a super simple recipe that will not only de puff your eyes, it will also tighten those pesky crow’s feet!
You need only 5 simple ingredients for this DIY. For a base you need Aloe Vera Gel. Next you’ll need Witch Hazel, rosemary essential oil and cypress essential oil and a coffee bean!
Ingredients:
Aloe Vera helps in proper wound healing and contains anti-inflammatory properties that reduce skin inflammation. It also acts as a growth hormone stimulating the growth of new cells. Aloe leaves contain antioxidants including, beta carotene, vitamin C and E that can help improve the skin’s natural firmness and keep the skin hydrated. It improves the skin elasticity, therefore minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Caffeine is a diuretic. Caffeine will dehydrate fatty cells so that water will disappear from the surface of your skin. This is why caffeine is often used to treat cellulite. Caffeine is a vasodilator, which means it tightens skin. Coffee is full of antioxidants as well! It is known to reduce redness which will help with dark circles under the eye.
Witch Hazel is commonly used as a toner that balances skin pH, but another use for witch hazel (or any astringent) is that it tones and tightens.
Cypress essential oil is a miracle oil-it’s tightening abilities go way beyond the skin-You can read more about cypress oil in my Rosehip Cypress Firming Cream post HERE. It is wonderful for thin delicate skin and helps with broken capillaries as well as circulation.
I added rosemary essential oil because of it’s ability to rev up blood circulation which helps get trapped fluid pumped out!
DIY Firming Eye Serum
- 1.5 TBSP. Aloe Vera Gel (find it HERE)
- 1 tsp. Witch Hazel (find it HERE)
- 2 drops Cypress Essential Oil (find it HERE)
- 1 drop Rosemary Essential Oil (find it HERE)
- 1 Coffee Bean
Find 1 ounce glass bottles HERE.
I suggest applying this DIY eye serum in the morning. The best way to apply it is to gently dab it on with your fingertips. You could also use a q-tip but be sure to be very gentle around the eye. This gel should be applied to a clean face. There is no need to moisturize over the gel. You can apply make up once the serum has soaked in.
xx, Jenni
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Jennifer Phillips worked as a licensed aesthetician for over 8 years before creating the DIY skincare blog, Jenni Raincloud and her natural skin care line, J. Raincloud Organics. Jennifer has been blogging full time for 16 years and loves to gain and share knowledge on how to achieve beautiful skin the natural way.
Do you sell your line of skin care?
Sort of…. I sale a few products on Etsy. https://www.etsy.com/shop/JRainCloudOrganics
Thanks!!
Thank you for sharing the ingredients for your firming eye serum. It is a very generous gesture.
Please forgive my ignorance as I am new at this kind of thing. How are the ingredients mixed together? How do I not have lumps of coffee bean in it? Is it heated? Do I put it in a blended?
Thank you for your time and assistance, It is greatly appreciated.
Donna Beaudin
Author
Donna-No problem with the questions-I really try to be very thorough in my instructions so I apologize if this recipe was confusing. It’s actually confusing because it is so incredibly simple. All you have to do it add the ingredients to a bottle, add in a coffee bean and that’s it. The coffee bean will stay whole and infuse into the mixture. All the ingredients are water based and do not require heating or blending! Hope this helps!
Just wondering the shelf life of this recipe
I would say about 2 weeks, but this recipe is a bit tricky with the coffee. Just be sure to be very aware of the smell of it, or you can omit the coffee and have a much longer shelf life. Cypress essential oil really is wonderful with firming. Thanks!
What do you think about using a roller ball bottle for this?
Jennifer-That’s a great idea-I bet it would work great, and very gentle.
I do not have puffy eyes but do have vey thin skin under my eyes with wrinkles. Would this work just as well if I left out the coffee? What is I added a few drops of carrot seed oil too? Thoughts?
Kelle-yes, carrot seed is great for the delicate eye tissue! I would leave out the coffee. Thanks!
Is it safe to apply this serum around the eyes because I read somewhere that you shouldn’t get any essential oils close to your eyes?
Abbie, Yes you can put this serum around your eyes-essential oils shouldn’t go in your eyes but around is fine. Thanks!
I just found this after googling firming eye serum recipe. I love that it’s all natural!!
I am a little nervous about the essential oil near my eyes as well, as I tend to be very sensitive and sometimes allergic to eo’s. Does the cream work well without the eo or do you think it would work well in an ice cube form (to be more direct with where i apply it)?
Melanie-I base all my recipes on essential oils with the essential oils serving the main purpose. So, I really wouldn’t recommend you omit the essential oils. You can always apply way below your eye because your serum will travel a bit. I like your idea with the ice cube! That is a great idea and of course, ice will reduce puffiness! Let me know how it goes!
Hi I am 46 and have a few wrinkles starting around my eyes. What is the best serum to prevent more and maybe help with the ones I have. Which eye firming serum should I use?
Tammy-I would use THIS serum. It’s great for tightening. My anti wrinkle eye stick is also great-it is very cream and thick and a bit easier to make. Both of these products are available on my Etsy shop!
How do you feel about anhydrous caffeine? I know it’s not quite as much a food as coffee, but I am concerned about the strong coffee darkening my very, very fair skin.
Peggy, This is a great idea-I knew there was a form of pure caffeine but I didn’t know what it was called! Thank you! I have had a couple of people dislike putting coffee into this recipe due to a short shelf life and possible skin tint. So, I googled “organic anhydrous caffeine” and came up with this-https://amzn.to/QbYXMe Since I’ve never worked with this and there just isn’t easy to find info. about adding this to cosmetics, use small amounts and with caution and keep me posted! I’m going to try it too.
So, I’ve just come across this recipe and comments and wondered if you tried the organic anhydrous caffeine? What happened? Which brand did you buy and how much are you supposed to use in this form? Thanks for any help.
Author
Vicki-I have not-I’m not exactly sure what it is. I’d love to hear more!
I hope you can help with the caffeine anhydrous, I’ve got it but need help on how to use it.
Author
Kathy-Unfortunately I am no help here. I’ve never worked with it. Sorry!!
Hi Jenni,
I’m so happy to have found your site! Thank you for all your wonderful work! I was wondering if one could use coffee essential oil here or if you have any experience with this oil? I am very curious if it would also have an effect of increasing circulation and tightening the skin.
Thanks for any insight you might have.
Cathryn-Unfortunately, coffee essential oil does not contain caffeine so it wouldn’t have the benefits. Too bad!
Hi Jennie, Would substituting green tea for the coffee be ok?
Michele, Yes, but I don’t believe you would be getting as much caffeine. I think it will last longer with green tea though!
Thanks so much !!
What about substituting coffee with coffee essential oil instead?
Hi Yvonne! Unfortunately coffee essential oil contains no caffeine!
It’s not my first time to visit this website, i am visiting this site
dailly and obtain nice information from here daily.
Hi .. Cld u kindly tell me where I can find cypress oil ?
Many thx !!
Hi Neomi! I get mine from Spark Naturals. You can find it HERE.
Do you think adding vitamin E will prolong the shelf life of the firming eye serum?
Vitamin E does help prolong shelf life so I think it’s a great idea. Plus, it is great for around the eyes!
Hi,
I made the serum using green tea and I really like it. The only issue is that I made too much and I don’t want it to go bad. Can I use it on other parts of my skin?
RMSB-You could use it anywhere! Go to town!
Hi! I just discovered your blog and I love it! Ever since I started using the oil cleansing method on my face, I have become totally hooked on homemade skin care. I have dark circles under my eyes, as well as some puffiness. I also want to start using products to prevent aging. I am only 22, but I really want to start using products that prevent aging, especially around my eyes! Do you think that I should use this recipe, or your firming eye cream? What are the benefits of both? Any input would be appreciated! Thanks!
Hi Susie! I suggest you try my Anti Wrinkle Eye Stick-It’s easy to make, has a much longer shelf life and does a great job nourishing that delicate skin under the eyes. It contains carrot seed essential oil that helps regenerate new skin as well. As far as dark circles go, it’s just hard to combat those. Besides drinking tons of water and getting plenty of sleep there just isn’t a miracle cure for them, at least not one that I’ve found! I think it’s awesome that you are starting to think about wrinkles around your eyes. Taking care of the skin around your eyes is such a good habit to get into, even in your 20’s!!
Hi.can I use fresh aloe Vera from the plant instead of the gel?
Maria-Absolutely!! Fresh is always the best option if you have it!
This may seem a silly question BUT, can I substitute Aloe Vero Juice for the Gel in your recipes? I as bc as I began my journey on homemade skin care I had a recipe calling for Ale Vero Gel. I live in Florida where I have plenty of the plant. So I cut some leaves & skinned the GEL from the plant & used amount called for. It was a disaster! But, I did have the gel! HELP PLEASE??!!
Laura-I think you could-It would be watery but if you don’t mind that, the juice should have the same benefits as the gel!!
Hi there! First time commenter – I’m new to this blog but I’m LOVING it!
I think I have a solution for the short shelf life (other than including preservatives) – I had an idea several months ago to make a “cold” infusion of coffee and rosemary in witch hazel to add to my own version of an eye serum.
It’s done the same way one would make an infused oil, I put some organic ground coffee and dried rosemary into a small container, covered it with witch hazel extract (the stuff with the alcohol, to preserve – NOT the hydrosol, LOL! The dried plant matter could go bad in a pure hydrosol). It’s been “steeping” in my sunny kitchen for a few months, and I shake it whenever I can remember. Soon I’ll be straining it through a fine mesh metal filter, and possibly re-straining it through a paper filter of some sort to make sure I get out as much sediment as possible.
By not brewing the coffee/tea with water, you extend the shelf life of the product greatly! And by using steeped, dried rosemary instead of the EO (which, admittedly, I did not own that EO until just today), one can avoid any adverse reaction with that EO on such delicate skin. 🙂
Nixie-Oh girl…. These are great ideas! I love meeting people that like to get creative with their skin care!!
I think you are on to something. The coffee in this really disappointed me because it dramatically messed with the shelf life and I had no idea it would. I didn’t know that unbrewed coffee would have a longer shelf life! Coffee is such a great ingredient for the skin in so many different ways, maybe this is the answer on how it properly incorporate it into skin care.
Please keep me posted on what you find with your serum! Thanks for sharing!
Could you use a powdered version of caffeine in this? Anhydrous caffeine capsule 200mg. Is it too much? Same result as beans?
Author
Alisa-I have no idea-I have never worked with powdered caffeine. The bean works really well though and is much easier.
Hi! I have been searching and searching the Internet trying to find a yes or no answer as to which oils of coffee (like an infused oil homemade, and the coffee bean EO) have caffeine or not. So see you said coffee EO does not. How do you know this /is there a website you know of with info??? Im not disagreeing with you at all, I am just soo desperate to find some detailed information about caffeine in oils!!! Thank you!
Chelsea-I found this tid bit on the internet-and I currently can’t find it. I can tell you it was a reputable source. Coffee essential oil is kind of like citrus oils-through the distillation process, they lose their vitamin C. I will continue to research but it makes sense that there is no caffeine-unfortunately!
So, just curious, but can you freeze this in an ice cube tray and use on your eyes? Or do you think as the ice melts it could effect the eye area?
Author
Evie-You could-Ice is excellent for under the eyes, just wondering how messy it would turn out? Good luck!
Love this. It is so light, so pure, and keeping it the fridge makes it even more effective. I use this every morning before primer or make-up. Can’t imagine myself ever buying anything as cooling, tightening, and pleasant as this serrum.
Just made this and have it on. I felt a tightening effect immediately. The coffee isn’t really noticeable on the skin and I used practically coffee sludge, although I did add a little water and strained it through a coffee filter.
Could I put a drop of ginseng extract in this?
I can’t wait to try this on some leg spider veins.
Author
Anne-Sure! Be careful that you only make a small batch at a time unless you add a preservative like leucidal liquid from http://www.lotioncrafter.com
I want to make this, but also add the Leucidal. How much Leucidal would you recommend adding to this recipe? What do you think the shelf life would be after adding the preservative?
Author
Robin-This is a very old post so I should reformulate to add leucidal liquid so great idea! I would add 1/8 tsp. per 2 oz.
Hello Jenni. Thank you for sharing recipes. I’m dying to try this recipe. I’ve been making some coffee infused jojoba oil. Would I be able to use this as an alternative to just plain brewed coffee?
Thank you in advance for any input you have.
Author
Marita-The problem with using an oil in this recipe is that it won’t mix since the other ingredients are water based. I have several other recipes for eye products and one with a coffee infused oil! Go HERE for that. It’s a much better recipe than this one!
Hi,
How to make the gel? is it simply just mix all of them together or we need to heat them and blend. Can we use any essential oil instead of brewed coffee for the substitute?
Author
Dave-Hi! Yes, just mix everything together-No heating necessary. I have tried to figure out whether the coffee essential oil contains skin firming qualities. However, I do like cypress and frankincense essential oil for firming.
Absolutely! The delicate skin around the eyes is far thinner than skin anywhere else on the face or body. It is prone to signs of aging, including fine lines, crow’s feet, and deep-set wrinkles as we grow older. Natural oils are pure and can be absorbed into the skin safely and effectively to help the areas around the eyes retain moisture and, therefore, reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Very helpful article, And very catchy or I would say attention seeking article.
have good luck
Been using almond oil [under my eyes ]and jojoba oil alone on my face for a while, love the results but think i’ll give this a try.
Hi just wondering if can put this in the roller bottle you used for you coffee eye roll on? Or is it too runny?
Thank you
Author
Bee-I think you could. It might come out quickly but I’m sure it would be manageable.
Thankyou for sharing the wonderful information about eye serum, I will try this for sure.
Jenni,
I just made this as I read about it awhile ago and decided to try it!! A couple of questions:
1. Can this be refrigerated for a cooling gel or will that make it too thick?
2. I’ve read a great deal about the benefits of essential oils and their tightening properties. Geranium oil seemed to be high on the list. Could you add geranium oil to this mixture?
Thank you.
Laura
Author
Hi Laura! Absolutely put this in the fridge-it would be even more beneficial to apply it cold! Geranium oil is one of my favorites and so you could add it to this. Go easy on geranium though-it is very strong. I would say 2-3 drops at the most! Thank you!!!
For longer shelf life which preservative would you recommend and at what quantity?
Author
Alisa-I would use Leucidal Liquid-I find it at http://www.lotioncrafter.com
I would use 1/8 tsp per 1 ounce.
I’m trying to find an eye serum recipe that is oil free. I get styes easily with oil around my eyes. Can you please suggest one?
Author
Deb-Do you mean one to make or buy? I have an eye firming serum you might like that is water based.